Parent-Teacher Conferences

I'm still not sure what to think when the teacher at the parent-teacher conference is supposed to be ME! I'm hoping the shoes lead the professional yet fun look... ?!

Denim Jacket: via Nordstrom Sale
Shirt: Thrifted Banana Republic
Skirt: H&M circa 2000
Shoes: Indigo by Clarks
Ring: vintage from Grandma

World Travel Wardrobe

I started laying out clothes for my trip to France. (Sorry Rick Steves, but I am not opposed to taking a health amount of options with me across the pond, much like my friend at You Look Fab.) I am going with eighteen 7th and 8th graders... I NEED to feel good and have some choices!

A color scheme of purple (surprise, surprise), blue-turquoise, and brown has evolved. Each piece is required to go with at least two or three other pieces to make the cut. I'm loving the pallet and all the mix and match layering options so much that I want to start living in it all right away.














We'll be on the French Riviera where the weather should be pretty nice. Here's my clothing plan:

• 3 skirts (one print, two solid knit), 2 capri's, 1 nice jeans, and 1 magic New York & Co "pull up" pants that look like dress pants but are really like sweats
• 2 sweater/cardigans, 1 wrap top, 1 nice zip-up sweatshirt, 1 hoodie
• 6 nice t-shirts, 1 blouse, 2 tanks (bought a new striped shirt from UO - how french is that?!)
• 4 pairs of shoes (blue Danskos, purple Privo flats, bronze ballerina flats, running shoes)
• fleece or thin puffy coat (can't decide which), stylized thin puffy vest, and fantastic North Face raincoat
• swim suit, flip flops, and running clothes, etc.

Too much for 10 days?! It all fits with plenty of room to bring back trinkets...

Public Apology to Big Girls Browse!

I must make a public mia culpa for being so rude to someone I respect and admire when I called the name of the site Big Girls Browse "horrible" in my last post. After I read the comment here by that site's creator (!!), I immediately regretted being so critical.

I have never heard the British phrase "big girl's blouse", so I did not understand the name at all. I really hate terms like "plus size", and I was thinking that I would rather not be a "big girl" either, though I certainly identify with exactly the population of women she is addressing. I would like normal, healthy, "full figured" (another icky term) women like myself to be collectively assumed to be the normal ones. I think the skinny winnies should have to carry any label that identifies someone as outside the norm. I did not understand the name of the site, and it gave me an image of "big girls" only being able to browse in the world of fashion, not fully participate - which didn't make sense to me given her perspective. But I should have asked questions instead of condemning what I didn't understand!

I have to admit that if I ever thought that the amazing and wonderful Gemma would ever find little old me online, I would never have been so publicly critical of anything about it. This is a great lesson for me in making sure you really want to stand by what you publish, even where you think no one is reading.

I love the site, and the images and resources provided for us there are so valuable on a societal level, as well as being just plain fun to indulge in. Thank you, Gemma, for your sharing your work and your style with the world - and for explaining the name of your site to us ignorant Americans!

Also, you all should have heard my screams of GLEE when I saw that Danielle from WWEPW? commented on MY blog. I had to nearly be scraped off the ceiling. I might have been as excited to hear from Gemma if I hadn't been so horribly embarrassed by my own thoughtless words...

Research

I have been doing more style homework...

• I finally found a good style blog for curvaceous women, only it has a horrible name... Big Girls Browse. It's British, but still not quite forgivable. (UPDATE: Please see public retraction of this statement!)

• Everyone MUST know about What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear?!

• My sister turned me on to You Look Fab. I love the practical advice and product suggestions.

• More sources for great vintage influenced dresses: Stop Staring (Pin-Up Girl and ModCloth carry some of their stuff) and Red Dress Shoppe 

I heart the internet.

Happy St. Paddy's Day

This St. Patrick's Day I went for a subtle but still green-enough-not-to-get-pinched look...































Sweater: North Face via REI
Shirt: TJ Maxx or Nordstrom Rack? I buy any cheap Beatles t-shirt
Skirt: H&M circa 2000 (back when I had to make a pilgrimage to NYC to go there)
Boots: stolen from sister
Necklace: Target






















But if I had any less self-shoe-control, I would have built an outfit around these. Yum.

Blue Danube

Does this outfit say "You can trust me to take your precious children to France even though I've never been there and don't speak the language?! (We had our trip to France parent meeting this day.)

Note: I did learn to say, "Je vu dre un cafe, sil vu plait?" Then my dad pointed out I should probably learn "Ou sont le toilette?" if I'm going around ordering a bunch of coffee. So now I know two things. I'm totally ready.

































 Sweater: BCBG via Nordstrom Rack
Shirt: Ann Taylor Loft
Skirt: Lolë via TJ Maxx ($15!)
Tights: Hue via Macy's
Shoes: Dansko via Zappos
Scarf: gift from friend

More Monday Comfort

I walked into a 6th grade room today (with purple clipboard in hand) and one of the girls said "You like purple!" I refrained from responding, "Duh, have you met me?!"

Sweater: Forever 21 (yes, you saw it last Monday)
Blouse: Ann Taylor Loft sale rack
Pants: North Face via REI
Shoes: Me Too via Nordstrom sale
Bracelets: gift from sister

I was hoping the foofy collar made it this outfit more exciting than it really is...

Palm Beach in Seattle

Our school auction theme this year was "Palm Beach", and they encouraged everyone to wear less formal, more tropical clothes. Unfortunately they did not bring in warm weather for the occasion. I don't have a great flowing floral dress, so I opted for a splash of tropical color and hoped it would be enough. And it was an excuse to wear these amazing shoes.

 

Dress: via Nordstrom.com on sale

Shoes: Pink Studio via ModCloth

Pin: Ann Taylor Loft sale bin (like $5)

Purse: Hobo International circa 2004

Bracelet Watch: Anne Klein via Nordstrom Rack

 

I threw on this new sweater from Ruche try to keep out the March chill on the way.

 

The Tights are a Hit

The barista at Starbucks told me "nice tights and boots" as she gave me my iced green tea this morning (it's been that kind of week where brewing my own tea feels way too overwhelming). That helped my mood a little. Three of my seventh grade girls sweet talked me into giving them chocolate (against my better judgment) by telling me they wiped my board and liked my tights. And a few stray fifth graders also had compliments as they passed...

Shirt: Ann Taylor Loft sale

Denim jacket: Nordstrom sale

Corduroy skirt: Ann Taylor Loft sale rack

Much-commented-on tights: Urban Outfitters

Boots: stolen from sister (now with new soles/souls!)

Scarf: Urban Outfitters sale corner

 

 

 

Here's the outfit in action at a Middle School assembly. I think it works. Yes, those are clippers in my hand. Fundraising for Haiti haircut for one of the male teachers...

 

Sweater Guards!

I saw Emma Pillsbury wearing one, and I finally got the nerve to pull out one of the sweater guards I had rescued from my grandma's jewelry box. Of course our favorite new blogger, Gertie, was already all over it. But here's my attempt to make them cool again...

 

Sweater: H&M

T-shirt: Macy's

Skirt: thrifted at garage sale ($2!, no joke)

Boots: Steve Madden via Nordstrom

Sweater guard: vintage, from grandmother

Ring: from vintage spoon! (shoulda got a close-up of that, too)

 

And I'm not the only one!!

Lilac Librarian

Working a 1940s librarian kind of look...

Sweater: Macy's
Shirt: thrifted, Banana Republic
Skirt: H&M, circa 1999
Shoes: Indigo by Clarks via Zappos
Nude Fishnets: Macy's
Pin: vintage

Standard Monday Attire

I am not a morning person. I am not a Monday person. I am really, really not a Monday morning person. Unless otherwise inspired, every Monday I go for an easy formula: comfortable pants in whatever size I happen to be at the time + sweater over nice t-shirt. Got fancy this week and subbed heels for the usual Danskos.

Sweater: Forever 21
T-shirt: Forever 21 (I swear I have like 3 things from there, and these just happen to be two of them...)
Pants: Ann Taylor Loft sale rack (with subtle maroon stripes which I wouldn't have chosen if they weren't so cheap, but now I like)
Shoes: Kenneth Cole via Shoe Pavilion? (or one of those discount stores back when I worked downtown)
Necklace: Target?

 

 

Grey Blue Skies

Sweater: Anthropologie (only full price Anthro item I've ever bought. but totally worth it. and I had a gift card...)
Shirt: Ann Taylor Loft ($5)
Skirt: H&M
Tights: Macy's?
Boots: Steve Madden via Nordstrom
Scarf: spontaneous hand-me-down from college roommate (sweetest thing ever - you like my scarf? here you go! thanx manda.)

Coat: cheap from TJ Maxx
Bag: Roxy via TJ Maxx
(My grandpa lives right by TJ Maxx, and I've found it can be a great reward/release after a few hours in 92-yr-old land...)

Hot Pink Wednesday

Cardigan: Anne Taylor Loft
Blouse: Macy's (worn on my first blind date ever, back in like 2005. the date was awful, but the blouse has served me well.)
Pants: Nordstrom Rack (cute sailor buttons!)
Shoes: Dansko
Necklace: Target (on hand for a 1920s look)

Leopard Legs

If you ever feel like you're not getting enough attention... just wear leopard tights for a day. For better or worse, people seem to feel compelled to comment. I was greeted by "nice gams today" by the band director, "the Zoo people will love those" from a Main Office lady (apparently someone from the zoo was on campus today), and several "I love your tights!" every time I venture out of my room. They can't all actually love the look, but I sure don't feel invisible. All for me just trying to make use of a Halloween purchase.

Dress: H&M

Sweater: H&M ($15!)

    Leopard Tights: Urban Outfitters (for Halloween 2009)

    Leopard Belt: Forever 21 (for like $2)

    Boots: Steve Madden via Nordstrom

    Watch: Anne Klein via Nordstrom Rack

Gorgeous Green Dress

Friend, co-worker, artist, fashionista...

Dress: handmade (isn't she amazing?!), pattern from Colette Patterns
Shirt: H&M ($3!)
Shoes: Target
Tattoo: Matt at Liberty Tattoo (where she later took me to get mine)

Lavender and Pearl

Today, a couple of 8th grade girls stopped me in the hall just to say I looked cute, so it must be true... though I'm pretty sure if you wear heels or even just a skirt people automatically think you look good.

Sweater: BCBG via Nordstrom Rack
Shirt: thrifted, Banana Republic
Chords: Ann Taylor Loft sale rack
Pin: vintage store in Pt. Orchard
Ring: Forever 21? or H&M? Somewhere for like $2
Shoes: Indigo by Clarks via Zappos

I just got these these shoes (I was powerless against them), and I love them more than is probably healthy. I held myself back and only wore them twice this week. Luckily they are comfortable - as comfortable as they can be for 3"tall heels.